TY - JOUR
T1 - Occupational behaviors and farmworkers' pesticide exposure
T2 - Findings from a study in Monterey County, California
AU - Salvatore, Alicia L.
AU - Bradman, Asa
AU - Castorina, Rosemary
AU - Camacho, José
AU - López, Jesús
AU - Barr, Dana B.
AU - Snyder, John
AU - Jewell, Nicholas P.
AU - Eskenazi, Brenda
PY - 2008/10
Y1 - 2008/10
N2 - Background: We studied the relationship between behaviors promoted through the US Environmental Protection Agency Worker Protection Standard (WPS) and other programs and agricultural pesticide exposures in 73 strawberry fieldworkers employed in Monterey County, California. Methods: Farmworkers' behaviors were assessed via self-report and organophosphorus (OP) pesticide exposure was measured using dimethyl alkylphosphate (DMAP) and malathion dicarboxylic acid (MDA) urinary metabolite levels. Results: Wearing WPS-recommended clothing, wearing clean work clothes, and the combination of handwashing with soap and wearing gloves were associated with decreases in DMAP and MDA metabolite levels. Despite these protective behaviors, however, participants had significantly higher levels of exposure as compared with a national reference sample. Conclusions: Interventions that facilitate compliance with these behaviors may be effective in decreasing fieldworkers' pesticide exposures. However, further efforts are needed to reduce the exposure disparities experienced by farmworkers and decrease the potential for "take home" exposures to farmworkers' families.
AB - Background: We studied the relationship between behaviors promoted through the US Environmental Protection Agency Worker Protection Standard (WPS) and other programs and agricultural pesticide exposures in 73 strawberry fieldworkers employed in Monterey County, California. Methods: Farmworkers' behaviors were assessed via self-report and organophosphorus (OP) pesticide exposure was measured using dimethyl alkylphosphate (DMAP) and malathion dicarboxylic acid (MDA) urinary metabolite levels. Results: Wearing WPS-recommended clothing, wearing clean work clothes, and the combination of handwashing with soap and wearing gloves were associated with decreases in DMAP and MDA metabolite levels. Despite these protective behaviors, however, participants had significantly higher levels of exposure as compared with a national reference sample. Conclusions: Interventions that facilitate compliance with these behaviors may be effective in decreasing fieldworkers' pesticide exposures. However, further efforts are needed to reduce the exposure disparities experienced by farmworkers and decrease the potential for "take home" exposures to farmworkers' families.
KW - Clothing
KW - Farmworker
KW - Occupational behavior
KW - Pesticides
KW - Urinary metabolites
KW - Worker protection standard (WPS)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=51849147554&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=51849147554&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ajim.20622
DO - 10.1002/ajim.20622
M3 - Article
C2 - 18702096
AN - SCOPUS:51849147554
SN - 0271-3586
VL - 51
SP - 782
EP - 794
JO - American Journal of Industrial Medicine
JF - American Journal of Industrial Medicine
IS - 10
ER -
